Dr. Jonathan Bruce Brown

Composer in Residence

Visit Dr. Brown's web site.

The JSO's Composer in Residence, is an active composer and educator and host of the JSO's Backstage Glimpses series.

His modern yet lyrical compositional style has made him a frequent recipient of commissions for new works. In recent years he has completed commissions for the Brass Band of Battle Creek, District VIII of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and the Jackson Chorale. He has also been commissioned to write festive works for the 15th anniversary celebration of the South Carolina School for the Arts, the opening of the new music building at Central Michigan University, and the dedication of the new library at Spring Arbor University.

In March of 1996, he conducted the JSO in the premiere of his Symphony For String Orchestra, which was recorded in September of that year by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra for release on compact disc.

Performances of his works have taken him across the country. His composition Legacy of Vision: Martin Luther King, which was commissioned by the JSO and premiered here in 1987, has been performed in many venues, including Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. In 1992 it was included in a nationally-syndicated radio program produced by the University of Illinois.

After completing the Bachelor of Arts Degree from Central Michigan University, Dr. Brown studied composition with Neil McKay at the University of Hawaii, where his thesis composition, Three Pieces for Orchestra, was performed by the Honolulu Symphony. He completed his doctoral studies under Martin Mailman at The University of North Texas (then called North Texas State University), where his works won top honors in competitions in New York, Texas and California.

Currently Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at Spring Arbor University, Dr. Brown was honored to receive the Sears-Roebuck Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership for 1991, and in 1988 and 1995, the Faculty Merit Award.  His compositions have also been recognized by annual awards from the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) since 1992.